guest: i think steve should definitely -- [laughter] i do not know how much beltway wisdom there is at this point. the downgrade in the last few weeks and the reason for its -- when it standard and poor's announced that the u.s. was dropping to a aa+ rating, that was a very big deal. our system does not work. is dysfunctional. two sides hunkered down in a country that is very deeply divided. is a are trying to hunker down and do not agree -- they are trying to hunker down and do not agree. this was shameful. i really do not think that is it too strong of a term for these members. what impact it will have, we will have to wait and see. every plunge is a reminder that politics matters. you have to figure out a way to make the deeply divided congress in a deeply divided country work for the country. i actually think there is a seriousness about that since the downgrade that i have seen in years of writing the same story every month about how there is gridlock and deeply divided and polarizing. something is changing here. i think it is the gravitas of the moment. host: we have a question a